The present invention relates generally to a pilot burner capable of using a small stream of fuel to ignite a much larger stream of the same or another fuel, e.g. a stream of pulverized coal.
The increasingly serious fuel shortage, especially a shortage of inexpensive gas and fuel oils, has prompted several industries, including utility companies and cement companies, to convert from using fuel oil in pilot burners to using pulverized solid fuel such as coal. Existing oil pilot systems in coal-fired facilities require an expensive additional second oil fuel system in order to supply the fuel oil to the pilot burner. Therefore, it would be desirable to devise a pulverized solid fuel pilot burner which is fueled by a minimum amount of liquid fuel while maintaining adequate combustion of solid fuel.
This invention advantageously supplies a pilot burner which operates using a combination of liquid fuel and pulverized fuel. The burner uses a minimum amount of liquid fuel to ignite a much larger stream of coal and is particularly useful for igniting main furnace burners in a coal-fired facility. By using a minimum amount of liquid fuel for the pilot light, continuous fuel savings are realized throughout the lifetime operation of the facility.